Shuttle changing loom



eb. 4, 1936. L. s. VOSE SHUTTLE CHANGING LOOM Filed Aug. 9, 1934- 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 4, 1936. s. V055 SHUTTLE CHANGING LOOM Fil d A 9, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 4, 1936. 7 3 2,029,801

SHUTTLE CHANGING LOOM Filed 1954' 4 Shets-Sheet 3 Q1 'n y a3] 405/456 M L2} [7 90 f$%,4

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SHUTTLE CHANGING LOOM Filed Aug. 9, 1934 4 Sheets-Shea Patented Feb. 4, 1936 UNITED STATES SHUTTLE CHANGING LOOM Lewis S. Vose, Worcester, Mass, assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester,

Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application August 9,

20 Claims.

'-' beejected from the loom on a shuttle changing operation.

Double shuttle looms operate with a lay having vertically aligned boxes and two shuttles which the shuttle boxes.

are picked simultaneously, one shuttle moving 4 through the upper shed and the other shuttle through the lower shed to form a double fabric which is later split. In the type of loom to which my invention more particularly relates the lay comes to rest in rearward position and the old active shuttles are ejected from their shuttle boxes after which reserve shuttles from the magazines are inserted into the same boxes.

11f, for any reason, either shuttle destined for ejection should fail to reach the magazine side of the loom there is a possibility that the magazine will insert fresh shuttles into the boxes which are empty due to non-arrival of the active shuttle, and on the first pick following the reserve and depleted shuttles will smash either in the shed or in Failure of a shuttle to reach the magazine end of the lay on a changing beat may be due to faulty picking. It is an important object of my present invention to control the shuttle changing operations so that they cannot be completed until both depleted shuttles have been ejected and preferably though not necessarily have reached a given control point along the path of ejection. In this way definite assurance is given that the outgoing shuttles have actually been expelled from the lay before they are replaced by reserve fresh shuttles.

-It is convenient to accomplish the ejection of the outgoing shuttles by raising the fronts of the boxes in which they are located and pushing the shuttles forwardly bymeans located behind the boxes. The removal of the box fronts is preferably though not necessarily accomplished in sequence so that one shuttle box is in condition for ejection of its shuttle before the other shuttle box. When the box fronts are consolidated into a single box front plate Which is raised at the time of the shuttle change, this general result is accomplished by opening the front of the lower box while the front of the upper box is still closed by. the plate as it rises. In this way I am enabled to eject the lower shuttle at a time when the box front positively holds the upper shuttle from being ejected, and consecutive ejections result.

It is a further object of my present invention to provide a control so constructed and operated 1934, Serial No. 739,097

FFHE.

as to require two successive movements effected by consecutive ejections before permitting completion of a shuttle changing operation. In single shuttle shuttle-changing looms of the type specified a so-called receiver gate has been used which has a hook normally tending to prevent conveyance of a shuttle from the magazine to the lay and this hook is moved out of control position by the positive presence of a shuttle at the receiver gate.

Such a control is inadequate for a double shuttle loom inasmuch as the ejection of one shuttle would operate such a control even though the other shuttle should remain in the shed or not be picked out of its box in the opposite side of the loom, in which case there would be a smash. As set forth hereinafter I provide a hook or the like to control the shuttle conveying levers but this hook is subjected to a control in addition to that heretofore given in that two shuttles must be present in order to move it to a position where shuttle changing can be completed. The two shuttles thus act jointly to control and permit changing, and when joint action does not occur there is no shuttle change.

With these and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth in the.

claims.

being in position to start ation,

Fig. 2 is a view similar a shuttle changing operto the upper central part of Fig. 1, but on an enlarged scale,

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic perspective view showing the detector and magazine ends of the loom,

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic p erspective view showing the receiver gate and spent shuttle box,

Fig. 5 is a plan view taken in the direction of arrow 5, Fig. 2, showing the lower ejector,

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are detail diagrammatic side elevations showing successive positions of the receiver gate, and

Figs. 9, 10 and 11 are diagrammatic views showing the positions of the conveyor levers and control hook for the positions corresponding to Figs.

6, '7 and 8, respectively.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the

loom frame 28 has a and having upper and and 24, respectively. T the lay has pivoted to lay 2| pivoted as at 22 lower shuttle boxes 23 he lay end 25 secured to the upper end thereof a lever 26 the forward or right end of which as viewed in Fig. l is pivoted as at 27 to a box front structure 28. A substantially vertical link 29 is operatively connected to lever 28 and is attached to an arm 39 pivoted to the lay and connected to an operating rod 3!. The latter is connected to the forward end of a cam lever 32 pivoted as at 33 to the loom frame and arranged for operative relation with respect to a cam 34. The cam is secured to a so-called change shaft 35 which is normally stationary but is set into rotation whenever a shuttle changing operation is to take place. A handle 35 may extend upwardly from lever 26 a link 3? connecting link 29 and lever 26 and affords means by which the box plate can be raised manually.

Pivoted as at 3%) to the upper part of the lay end is an ejector lever 4! having a screw 42 to engage a block 43 on the forward end of a link 44 the rear end of which is pivoted as at 45 to the lay end. A short link 46 is interposed between the block and the box structure 28 and swings around pivot 21. Extending downwardly from the lever M is an arm 4'! to the lower end of which is adjustably secured an upper ejector 48 arranged to pass through the back 49 of the lay end to strike shuttle S and move it out of the upper box 23. A spring 59 between lever 26 and the lay end holds said lever and the box front normally in down position.

As shown particularly in Fig. 1 there are front and back reserve shuttle magazines M and M. respectively, which have conveyors 55 and 56, respectively, arranged to move reserve shuttles from the magazines toward the lay. The conveyors 55 and 56 are secured to levers 51 and 58, respectively, both of which move about a fixed pivot 59 carried by the loom frame. Lever 51 has a roll 69 to coact with a relatively large cam 6| fast on the change shaft 35, while lever 58 has a roll 62 to engage a somewhat smaller but similar cam 63.

As shown in Fig. 3 I have set forth upper and lower electrical weft detectors 65 and E6, respectively, which operate by known mechanism to start rotation of shaft 35. This control may if desired be similar to that found in my co-pending application Serial No. 693,05l. An apron 68 is attached to the lay and extends forwardly and downwardly between the back of a shuttle catcher box 69 and a guide rod 19 thereon.

In the operation of the matter thus far described the upper and lower shuttles S and S, respectively, will be picked back and forth together through upper and lower warp sheds W and W, respectively, the shuttles travelling together to produce a double fabric as indicated in Fig. 2. When the shuttles are on the detector end of the loom they coact with the detectors 65 and 66, and should either of these detectors indicate exhaustion of weft, shaft 35 will be set in rotation and the loom will be brought to rest with the lay in a rear position such as indicated in Fig. 1. As the shaft 35 rotates rod 3! will be depressed by rise 37 of cam 3 to rock lever 25 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1, thus raising the front box plate structure 28. The link or rod 44 serves in this connection to give the plate 28 a substantially parallel motion, an arm of the lever 26 and said rod 55 acting substantially as parallel links for the purpose.

During the upward motion of the plate 28 block 43. will engage the screw 42 to rock lever 4| about its axis and move ejector finger 58 forwardly or to the right to engage the upper shuttle which is in shuttle box 23. A spring 38 returnslever 4! to normal position after it is rocked by the block;

Rotation of shaft 35 also causes movement of the conveyor levers 5i and 58, these levers each having a slight forward motion to release the bottom shuttles from the magazines M and M. this result being accomplished by the rising surface 75 on cam 6!, for instance, and a similar surface on cam 63. Dwells ii? on these cams hold the conveyors forward while the active shuttles are ejected. Continued rotation of shaft 35 later in the cycle results in rearward motion of the conveyor levers under the influence of their springs 16, the rearward motion being permitted by surfaces 6% of the cams as they rotate. The new shuttles are thus carried from the magazine toward the shuttle boxes 23 and 24 and, assuming for the moment that the shuttles S and S have been ejected, the incoming shuttles are placed in the boxes on the lay. The box plate 28 has been held up by dwell 39 during this time, but now by reason of incline fl descends and mechanism not shown but well understood and controlled from the shaft 35 starts the loom running again.

The matter thus far described of itself forms no part of my present invention and may be the same as structures set forth in the following patents, Cowan No. 1,906,544, Jackson 1,434,211 and- Jackson, No. 1,133,802. The effect of operation. of the loom is to replace the two active shuttles with two fresh shuttles on the same shuttle changing operation of the loom, preferably while the loom is temporarily stopped, and if desired this shuttle changing operation may be initiated by the detectors shown in Fig. 3, although I do not wish to be limited to this mode of controlling shaft 35.

As previously stated if for any reason either of the active shuttles should fail to move out of the loom a smash will result upon the first pick following resumption of loom operation and I aim to prevent such a smash by preventing or revoking transfer of the fresh shuttles. The particular means for accomplishing this result as set forth hereinafter, contemplates arrival of the ejected shuttles at a control mechanism in sequence, or consecutively.

The mechanism for discharging one shuttle ahead of the other, as shown in Fig. 1, com prises a cam lever 80 moving about pivot 33 and contacting with a cam 85 fast on shaft 35 and having a point 82. Extending upwardly from this lever is a rod 83 which as shown on larger scale in Fig. 2 is connected to a bell crank lever 84 pivoted as at 85 to the lay Ill. The lower arm 86 of this lever is operatively connected to a shuttle pusher 8? indicated in detail in Fig. 5. The body of this pusher may be square and moves through similarly formed guide bearings 88 to prevent rotation and the forward end has a head 89 with three fingers S9 to engage the lower shuttle. The rod has an adjustable collar 9| which is driven by the arm 86 of the bell crank lever.

Reference to Fig. 1 shows that the point 82 of cam 8| becomes operative to depress lever 80 early in the rotation of shaft 35 and completes the ejection of the lower shuttle while cam lever 32 is still rising on incline 3'5 By this relation the pusher head 89 engages the lower shuttle and moves the same forwardly out of box 24 and on to apron 68 before cam 36 lifts plate 28 high enough to release the upper shuttle S in box 23.

" as of opera- Th' "upper shuttle is threfbre ejected after the 1's rshuttl'e has" been "started ts" its edwiiwaia path towardthe box6'9. From this it win be seen that'upwardmcvemenmf box "st attire-2's istimed' to prevent 'dischar'ge'oi 'tneup rshuthetero-after the ower s'h'uttlefisbut bfits box,

a i'elati0h which is obtaihd by the setting of cams 34 and 8|. w V p I that part of myihvehtion a-lieady fiscribed it-isa'pparent that the active "shuttles are diseharged from thelay con'secutivelyor in sgiiehce so that there is an appreciable-interval trhme "lapsihg between theejectidn 6i 'tlielower and "upper Shuttles. I db nbt to be "limited t6 thespecific 'm'eans shown forejecting the" active hisforih'of my invention is the cori's'ecu we ar a1 er the outgoing shuttles at a definite point regardless of thefmann'er 'of their ejection'orcontrol 'sutse fluent to"'ej'ection.

"In carrying my invention'into furthereffect I provide means for preventing "rearward motion of the conveyors of the's'huttl'es of the magazines ufilss both shuttles are ejected from the btix's 23*and-24. This part of my ihven'tion isset forth particularly in Figs. 4, arid 6 to '11. The box or receiver-for spenfshuttles has jverticalsideplates across whiche'xtends ashaft saga-s shown "Fig.4, rotatable in bearirigsS'I "onthe box. That end 0f "the shaft which is hear the c'ofiy'yor levers has loosely pivoted thereon a'contiollerfl the rearbr which is-provided with ensues}: adapted for entry into a notch I00 wasted as set forth-herein meon'vey 'r lever 51. A g

A'c'ouhter-w'eight IOI pf the controller actsto 16 the hook 11p against the 'ilhdi side f IUZ Of the conveyor lever 51. "Secured to the shaft 95 is a "Shdrtvan'e I 03 and a longer 'vaae III I spaced angular-1 therefrom around shaft 95, and "vanes are counter-weighted by a third vane I05. -A friction strap I96 anchored as at "'IIII bathe box and'tension'e'db'y a spring I09 eict'e'nds' around a part of the shaft '96 to dampen vibration of said sh'aft and "retardmotion of the varies. 'Lever =51 has a "stop pin 1111, Figs. 1- and f9, exten ing laterally therefrom into restraim relation respect totheother'cor'iveyor le'v "5 8-a"s s t forth particularly in Fig. 9, so that if yer any reaso rearward motion 'orti is prevented the step pin will also "arrest rearward motion of the other conveyor-lever. I V

A clutch e1ement I I5 is "secured t f siiaftjss by a set screw I I6 in adjusted angular position and has 'atooth II! to engage a se ond t'oothIlB formed as pa'rtof the controller 98. These teeth are adapted forengageme'nt with eachother under conditions to be described but are normally spaced so that the controller is not afiec'ted by tooth III but is held in normal-position only by its own counter-weight If. A collar I20 confines the controller between itself and clutch part As already described the first part io f the shuttle changing operation results in forward motion of the conveyor levers to take -sl iuttles from the magazines, arid this moves notch I90 to a position where hook 99 will tend to 'enter'under action of the counter-weight IDI. When the lever 51 is forward the hook and notch will be related as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6, ahd the lever will be held against rearward motioh. The shutties which are ej e'cted from the s uttle bozfes have their inner ends supported temporarily *a pin I25 whichextends forwardly from the lay, as shown in Fig. 4. g v

With the parts in this position the or lower shuttle moves downthe apron toward the box and strikes the short vane I93 to g'ive shaft 96 a partial rotation so that the vanes movefiom the position shown in full lines Fig. 6to 'thefposi' tion of Fig. '7. Vane I04, which was previousl out of the path of the shuttles, is now positionedfdr engagement with the second or upper shuttle. While the vanes move to the position "shown in 'Fig. 7 the tooth I I1 moves up close to toothfITa "or thecontroller, but this motion is not sufiicierit to move the 'hook 99 out of the notch and the parts will remain in the position shown in Fig. 7 with the hook or controller restraining rela: tion 'withrespect to the conveyor lever 51.

When the second shuttle S reaches the receiver gate it will strike vane I94, turning the latter to the position of Fig. 8 and giving shaft 96 'an'additional rocking motion which moves tooth I'I'I against tooth I I8 and rocks the controller to the position shown in Fig. 8 where the hook is out of the notch. The parts are so related that counter-weight I'UI strikes and is held by surface I02 of lever 51 before the second shuttle can fall completely into the receiver box, this shuttle v maintaining the hook out of the notch until the 'le'ver'51 moves far enough rearwar-dly to place the notch out of line with the hook. a

While the friction strap I 96 isfiot necessary,

yet I find it convenient as it tends to hold the setting given by the first shuttle until the second shuttle arrives. It is not necessary to kee the vanes in the position shown in Fi'g. 8 after the notch I00 has moved rearwar'clly away from the hook 99 and at some later time hook 99 will -re'- turn to the position shown in Fig. 6 where it will no longer be capable of exerting control over the conveyor levers. It is to be remembered that the normal position or the lever 51 when not changing shuttles is with notch I99 behind the hook.

Itwill be apparent that if either shuttle should fail to reach the receiver gate or vanes the latter will not be given the two part motion which they require before permitting the 'conveyor levers to complete the changing operation which they start. Likewise, if both shuttles should failto reach the vanes due to a defect of the ejecto'rs, or failure to reach the boxes 23 and 24, the hook will remain in controlling position and arrest shuttle change.

The consecutive arrival is provided for by the successive ejection at the shuttle boxes, but as already stated, so far as the controller for the conveyor levers is concerned it is immaterial what means is provided to insure successive are rival of the shuttles at the receiver gate and I do not wish to be limited to the form of shuttle ejector shown herein. While I have shown a loom of the type which stops to change shuttles; yet certain features of my invention are not dependent upon stopping and I do not wish to be limited to that particular type of shuttle chang ing loom.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided means which will prevent or revoke 'a shuttle changing operation unless both shuttles in boxes 23 and 24 are rejected, and preferably reach a definite prescribed point in the path of that the control is accomplished through two movements of shaft 96. It will also be seen that the box front structure 28 is so controlled as to assist in the consecutive ejection of the active shuttles, this structure permitting discharge of the lower shuttle at a time when the upper shuttle is positively restrained from being ejected.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made thereinby those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. ha shuttle changing double shuttle loom having two active shuttles which are picked together, means to eject both active shuttles on the same shuttle changing operation of the loom, mechanism to place two reserve shuttles into action to replace the ejected shuttles, and means to prevent operation of the mechanism if either active shuttle fails to be ejected,

2. In a shuttle changing double shuttle loom having two active shuttles which are picked together, means to eject both active shuttles on the same shuttle changing operation of the loom, mechanism to place two reserve shuttles into action to replace the ejected shuttles, and control means for the mechanism normally efiective to prevent operation of the mechanism and rendered ineffective toprevent operation of the mechanism by ejection of both active shuttles but remaining effective to prevent said operation when only one shuttle is ejected. 3. In a shuttle changing double shuttle loom having two shuttle boxes from which active depleted shuttles are ejected and into which reserve shuttles are placed, means toeject both shuttles from the boxes on the same shuttle changing operation and to direct them along a given path, mechanism to move a reserve shuttle into each box, and means to prevent the mechanism from moving the reserve shuttles into the boxes unless the ejected shuttles have reached predetermined points along said path.

4. In a shuttle changing double shuttle loom having two shuttle boxes from which active shuttles are ejected and into which reserve shuttles are placed, means to eject a shuttle from each of the boxes during the same shuttle changing operation of the loom, mechanism normally operative thereafter on the same shuttle changing operation of the loom to place a reserve shuttle in each shuttle box, and a controller for the mechanism having a tendency to prevent operation of the latter and movable by the combined action of both ejected shuttles to overcome said tendency and permit said mechanism to operate.

5. In a shuttle changing double shuttle loom having two shuttle boxes from which active shuttles are ejected and into which reserve shuttles are placed, means to eject both shuttles from the shuttle boxes during the same shuttle changing operation, mechanism thereafter normally efiective on the same shuttle changing operation of the loom to place a reserve shuttle in each shuttle box, a controller normally tending to prevent operation of the mechanism, and preventer means dependent upon presence of both ejected active shuttles at a given point to move said controller out of normal position thereby permitting the mechanism to operate, presence of but one shuttle at said point being ineffective to move the controller out of normal position.

6. In a shuttle changing double shuttle loom having two shuttle boxes from which active shuttles are ejected and into which reserve shuttles are placed, a pair of shuttle ejectors, one for each shuttle box, each to eject a shuttle from a shuttle box during the same shuttle changing operation of the loom, a plurality of reserve shuttles, transfer mechanism to move two shuttles from the plurality to the boxes, one for each box, and a controller for said transfer mechanism in a condition normally tending to prevent operation thereof and movable by the combined presence of both ejected shuttles at given points out of said condition.

7. In a shuttle changing double shuttle loom operating with two active shuttles both of which are picked on each beat of the loom, means to eject both shuttles from the loom on the same shuttle changing operation when depletion of weft occurs in either shuttle, mechanism normally operativethereafter to start to move two reserve shuttles into active position to replace the previously active pair of shuttles, and control means for the mechanism capable of interrupting operation thereof and rendered incapable of interrupting said operation by presence of both the previously active shuttles at a given point outside the loom.

8. In a shuttle changing double shuttle loom having two active shuttles which are picked together, means to eject both active shuttles on the same shuttle changing operation of the loom, mechanism to place two reserve shuttles into action to replace the ejected shuttles, and means dependent upon successive arrival of the ejected shuttles at a given point outside the loom to allow operation of the mechanism and operative to prevent operation if either active shuttle fails to be ejected.

9. In a shuttle changing double shuttle loom having two shuttle boxes from which active shuttles are ejected and into which reserve shuttles are placed, means to eject the active shuttles from the shuttle boxes in succession on the same shuttle changing operation, mechanism normally operative thereafter to replace the active ejected shuttles with reserve shuttles, a controller normally tending to prevent operation of the mechanism, and means dependent upon the successive arrival of the ejected shuttles at a given point to move the controller out of preventing position relatively to the mechanism.

10. In a shuttle changing double shuttle loom having two shuttle boxes from which active shuttles are ejected and into which reserve shuttles are placed, means to eject the active shuttles in succession during the same shuttle changing operation of the loom, mechanism normally operative thereafter to place reserve shuttles in the shuttle boxes, a preventer normally tending to prevent operation of the mechanism, and control means for the preventer operative by the successive arrival of both ejected shuttles at a given point to move the preventer out of preventing relation with respect to the mechanism. I

11. In a shuttle changing double shuttle loom having two shuttle boxes from which active shuttles are ejected and into which reserve shuttles are placed, a front plate common to both shuttle boxes, means to move said plate in a vertical direction relatively to the boxes at the time of the shuttle change operation, said plate exposing the shuttle of one box before exposing the shuttle of the other box, means to eject the shuttles from the shuttle boxes in sequence, and mecha nism dependent upon successive arrivals of the ejected shuttles at a given point to move reserve shuttles into the shuttle boxes.

12. In a shuttle changing double shuttle loom operating with two active shuttles, means to eject the shuttles successively on the same shuttle changing operation of the loom, and mechanism dependent upon successive arrivals of the shuttles at a given point outside the loom to move reserve shuttles into active position to replace the ejected shuttles.

13. In a shuttle changing double shuttle loom, a pair of shuttle boxes each to receive an active shuttle preparatory to a shuttle changing operation, means to eject the active shuttles from the boxes along given paths, reserve shuttles, mechanism to move a reserve shuttle into each shuttle box during a shuttle changing operation, and means to prevent the completion of a shuttle changing operation by the mechanism unless both active ejected shuttles reach predetermined points along their paths.

14. In a shuttle changing double shuttle loom, a pair of shuttle boxes, mechanism to move a reserve shuttle into each shuttle box during the same shuttle changing operation, ejector means to move the active shuttles from the boxes, and means to prevent the completion of the operation of the mechanism unless both active shuttles are moved by the ejector means to predetermined positions out of the loom.

15. In a shuttle changing double shuttle loom operating with two active shuttles, means to remove said shuttles from action, mechanism to replace said shuttles with reserve shuttles on the same shuttle changing operation of the loom, and means to prevent operation of the mechanism unless both active shuttles are removed from action.

16. In a shuttle changing double shuttle loom operating with two active shuttles, means to eject the shuttles successively on the same shuttle changing operation of the loom, and mechanism dependent upon successive passage of the shuttles by a given point to replace said shuttles with fresh reserve shuttles.

17. In a shuttle changing double shuttle loom operating with two active shuttles, means to eject the shuttles on the same shuttle changing operation of the loom, mechanism to replace the ejected shuttles with fresh reserve shuttles, and two controllers for the mechanism, one to be operatively related to one ejected shuttle and the other to be operatively related to the other ejected shuttle, said mechanism being dependent for its operation upon the operative relation of each controller with its respective ejected shuttle.

18. In a shuttle changing double shuttle loom operating with two active shuttles, means to eject both shuttles on the same shuttle changing operation of the loom, shuttle changing mechanism to replace the ejected shuttles with fresh reserve shuttles, and two controllers for the changing mechanism, one to be operatively related to each shuttle, operation of the changing mechanism being dependent upon operative relation of each controller with an ejected shuttle.

19. In a shuttle changing double shuttle loom operating with two active shuttles, means to eject both shuttles on the same shuttle changing operation of the loom, shuttle changing mechanism to replace the ejected shuttles with fresh reserve shuttles, and controller means to be given two operative movements, one movement by each ejected shuttle, operation of the shuttle changing mechanism being dependent upon the two operative movements by the controller means.

20. In a shuttle changing double shuttle loom operating with two active shuttles, means to initiate a shuttle changing operation of the loom with respect to both active shuttles, ejector mechanism controlled by the means to eject both active shuttles on the same shuttle changing operation of the loo-m, shuttle changing mechanism controlled by the means to thereafter replace the ejected active shuttles with two reserve shuttles, and control means exerting a preventing control over the shuttle changing mechanism and rendered incapable of exerting said preventing control only upon the ejection of both active shuttles.

LEWIS S. VOSE. 

